Friendship Works mentor (children and young people or care experienced young adult))
Friendship Works
Friendship Works mentors are ordinary people doing an extraordinary thing. As a mentor, you will give a few hours of your time most weekends (flexible for care experienced), to bring fun and friendship into the life of a child/young person or care experienced young adult who is feeling lonely and isolated. You will build a safe, stable friendship with your mentee. Over time, you will become someone they can turn to for support, who they know is there for them when they need someone to listen.
This service supports children in London aged 5 – 18 who have been through difficult or traumatic experiences. As a mentor you will develop a friendship lasting at least two years with a child or young person we match you with. Specifically, you will: * Pick up and drop off mentee before/after outings * Provide non-judgemental support to mentee * Attend regular (weekly initially for six months/then monthly) supervision (phone) * Attend reviews with mentee/caseworker * Complete expenses *Undertake and enhanced DBS check and provides referee details *Abide by all of our policies *Attend the training weekend
Befriending, Buddying & Mentoring
Art & Craft, Negotiating, Organising & Planning
Whilst Friendship Works welcomes and encourages mentors from all walks of life, there are some minimum requirements. All volunteer mentors must: • be in a settled period of life • be 21 or over (over 25 for care experienced route) • live in or around London, to make travelling once a week a realistic commitment • not have caring responsibilities for a child under 14 • be able to make time three out of four weekends a month to meet with the young person they support (or three times a month with flexible meeting times for care experienced young adults) * There are no formal qualifications needed to become a volunteer mentor, but we look for some key personal qualities. Emotional maturity; commitment; relationships and approach to youth mentoring
Volunteer mentors have the opportunity to build a friendship and connect with a young person/care experienced young adult in their community who needs more support. They are able to get more involved in their communities as a result. Existing mentors find it rewarding to see the world through the eyes of a young person/care experienced young adult. Many have developed new interests as a result of their friendship. Experienced mentors tell us that in addition to being lots of fun, volunteering with Friendship Works has helped them develop skills such as: • communication • active listening • increased empathy • planning • change/expectation management
Three hours, three times a month on a weekend day for two years. Or flexible meetings times three times a month for care experienced young adults
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Volunteering across Camden and other London Boroughs
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